Ask Me Anything, Photography FAQ

Some of the most frequent questions I get are related to photography. I’ve been a professional photographer for about ten years now, so it makes sense. Between my day-to-day clients, people I meet, and blog readers, I thought it would be fun to put together a photography-related frequently asked questions post. Stick around for the comments, because I’m dedicating myself to answer all photography-related questions below.

Here are some of my most frequently asked questions to start.

What camera do you use?Canon 5D MKIII. I’m still on the fence about upgrading to the Mark IV, but I probably will after they release the drivers.

What is your favorite lens?A Canon 35mm F/1.4L is my go-to lens, it almost never leaves my camera. The focal length is perfect for most occasions.

How can I make the background blurry?You can do this by shooting with a wider aperture, or lower F-Stop. You can read more about basic photography in my photography series.

Which is better, Canon or Nikon?They each have their strengths, and from all the photographers I know, it really comes down to your personal preference. The Canons always felt better in my hand.

What camera should I get for my first DSLR?It depends on your intended use. You can read more about photography gear here.

I will answer any of your photo questions in the comments below, so feel free to ask away!

I had the Canon 50mm F/1.2L lens before and on top of the focal length being a little too much indoors, the images from it weren’t as crisp as I wanted. I know a TON of people that rave about it as well, but it’s just not my personal favorite. The 35mm offers a little more range in the area that I can photograph without distorting the photo too much, and unlike the 50 was for me, it offers a very sharp image. It will also depend on if you have a full frame or cropped sensor camera, because you’ll need to factor in the crop factor.

You are such a talent!! Your photos are always such a dream. This is so nice of you to offer to answer any questions! I just got a Canon 6D and I’m loving it so far! Of course I still have a ton to learn!

Liking this post. My boyfriend got me a camera for Christmas in 2015, and that’s when I started my YouTube channel. We’re finally learning more and more about the camera and how to take the best possible photos! You have some great advice.

The 50 mm lens for Canon. I want to get a blurred background and have the model in focus with depth. What would the exact settings be? One of your posts mentioned the shutter speed and a low F stop. Is there an exact shutter speed number??

You should be shooting anywhere between F1.2 – F2.0 to have an out of focus background, with a good distance between the subject and background. I can’t tell you the shutter speed because I don’t know what kind of light you are shooting in. I would suggest setting your ISO and Aperture (F-Stop), then adjusting your shutter speed for light. As an example, when I shoot in daylight, I normally shoot ISO100, F2.0, and a shutter speed of 1/8000.

I agree with you on Canon feeling better in my hand vs. Nikon. I shoot with Canon 40D, and have thought about upgrading to the 5D Mark IV, but then I’d only have a 70-200 to use . Awesome lens, but I have several other awesome lenses that would be obsolete 🙁

I’d like to know which software you use for editing. I used to use Photoshop, bit now I feel like it’s overkill so I mostly use Lightroom. Are there any PS actions packs that you’d recommend?

I had the 40D awhile back (before upgrading to the 5D Mark II, but I didn’t have any adjusted lenses so upgrading wasn’t a big issue for me. Would you be able to sell your EF-S lenses and purchase other EF ones? Or perhaps consolidate?

I use Lightroom for 99.9% of my editing, and I very rarely use actions in Photoshop. When I do it’s usually for stuff like text, collages, etc. Sometimes I airbrush in a little hazy light if I can’t achieve it in Lightroom.

Hi Jess! Thanks for the opportunity to ask a question! It seems I’m a little (or a lot!) late to the game 🙂
May I ask what size/quality images your settings are on? I’m assuming you shoot in RAW – but how do you stop your memory card from filling so quickly?? Maybe I just need a much bigger memory card for my DSLR! Thanks so much x

With my camera I shoot RAW images to my CF card (128GB) and Large JPGS to my SD card (8GB). My memory card can hold over 1000 photos easily when I’m shooting in manual mode, but it’s less if I’m shooting in any of the auto modes.

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